This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from my applications both entitled REEL BRAKE APPARATUS OF TAPE RECORDER and filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Aug. 19, 2000, and there duly assigned Serial No. 48097/2000 and 48102/2000, respectively.
1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a reel braking apparatus for a tape recorder, and more particularly to a reel braking apparatus which performs braking of a reel disk assembly in a fast and accurate manner even when the tape recorder has been in use for a long time.
2. Related Art
In general, a pair of reel disk assemblies for accommodating insertion of a reel groove of a loaded tape cassette are provided on a deck of a tape recorder, such as a VTR or a camera incorporating a video tape recorder (a so-called camcorder), for recording/reproducing information by scanning a magnetic tape using a magnetic head. The reel disk assemblies are rotated by a reel driving apparatus in the forward or backward direction according to the operational mode, thus rotating a reel of a tape cassette. As a result, a magnetic tape which is wound around the outer circumferential surface of a rotary head drum by about half a revolution can be made to run. A reel braking apparatus for preventing excess operation of a tape due to the force of inertia of a reel disk is installed around the reel disk assembly.
In prior reel braking apparatus for a tape recorder, when a mode of the tape recorder is instantly changed from the play mode to the reverse play mode, the rotation direction of the reel gear of the reel disk assembly changes direction. Then, as a clutch lever pivots by means of a frictional force of viscous liquid provided between a gear member and the clutch lever, the brake portion is engaged with the gear portion of the reel gear so that the rotation of the reel gear is restricted. However, when the viscosity of the viscous liquid is lowered, the frictional force is reduced so that the pivot of the clutch lever by the gear member is not rapid. Thus, when the tape recorder is used for a long time, the frictional force due to the viscous liquid provided between the gear member and the clutch lever is reduced so that the braking speed is lowered and malfunction occurs during a shift between modes.
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a reel braking apparatus for a tape recorder for performing braking of a reel disk assembly in a fast and accurate manner, even when the tape recorder has been in use for a long time.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a reel braking apparatus of a tape recorder for selectively braking a reel disk assembly including a reel disk and a reel gear installed on a deck according to an operational mode. The apparatus comprises a clutch member supported by a rotation shaft installed on the deck, a gear member installed coaxially with the clutch member to rotate by being engaged with the reel gear, and a clutch spring installed between the gear member and the clutch member for restricting rotation of the gear member so that the gear member can rotate in one direction according to a rotation direction of the reel gear.
Also, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a reel braking apparatus for a tape recorder for selectively braking a reel disk assembly including a reel disk and a reel gear installed on a deck according to an operational mode. The apparatus comprises a clutch member installed under the reel gear and coaxially with a rotation shaft of the reel gear, and a clutch spring installed between the reel gear and the clutch member for allowing the reel gear to rotate only in one direction and for restricting rotation of the clutch member.